Ash, an anthology

Allow me to be suitably excited today, because it's the release of Pandemonium: Ash, an anthology of short fiction brought out by Jurassic London.

The blurb pretty much sums everything up...

When Krakatoa exploded, it shook the world. The volcano rained fire and unleashed floods, but the worst was still to follow. 1883 was a year of darkness and cold, as the global temperature dropped and the skies were wreathed in ash. It was also a year of fiery sunsets and blue moons, where the impossible could - and did - happen...

Ash explores a world where myths come to life and strange creatures wash up in the shallows - a world where survival is only the first of many struggles, and the monsters can take many forms.

Ash contains new (very) short stories by Lavie Tidhar, Charlie Human, Nerine Dorman, Timothy J. Jarvis, Dan Green and Richard de Nooy. 

The stories of Ash take place in the same shared setting as A Town Called Pandemonium and 1853, as well as the forthcoming The Streets of Pandemonium and The Rite of Spring. Ash can be read on its own or part of the shared world series.

Okay, so I'm totally stoked to see who else is included in this anthology. Even better is that you can download Ash for free. Go see more here, at the publisher's website where you'll also get a bunch of download links. Then do us a favour, go leave a review at Goodreads.

My story draws on my mother's childhood. She grew up in the (then) remote fishing village of Hout Bay in South Africa. What stuck in my mind, is a story she said her ouma told her about when Krakatoa exploded, that they remembered the unusual sunsets. Okay, it's not *quite* what I ended up concocting, but it definitely sparked my imagination, which departed on some interesting tangents. I often dream of the sea. That is all. My mother really did jump up and down on a stranded Mola mola once upon a time. I don't think they wash up anymore.